Resolution 2019-31099 RESOLUTION NO. 2019-31099
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, COMMEMORATING
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE THROUGH OFFICIAL
RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE; THANKING
CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA SHALALA FOR VOTING FOR
THE PASSAGE OF U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RESOLUTION 296 AFFIRMING THE UNITED STATES RECORD
ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE; AND URGING SENATORS
MARCO RUBIO AND RICK SCOTT TO VOTE FOR THE
PASSAGE OF THE RELATED SENATE RESOLUTION 150.
WHEREAS, the United States has a proud history of recognizing and condemning
the Armenian Genocide, the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to
1923, and providing relief to the survivors of the campaign of genocide against Armenians,
Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians; and
WHEREAS,the Honorable Henry Morgenthau, United States Ambassador to the Ottoman
Empire from 1913 to 1916, organized and led protests by officials of many countries against what
he described as the empire's "campaign of race extermination", and was instructed on July 16,
1915, by United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing, that the "Department approves your
procedure...to stop Armenian persecution"; and
WHEREAS, President Woodrow Wilson encouraged the formation of the Near East Relief,
chartered by an Act of Congress, which raised $116,000,000 (over $2,500,000,000 in 2019
dollars) between 1915 and 1930, and the Senate adopted resolutions condemning these
massacres; and
WHEREAS, Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term "genocide" in 1944, and who was the
earliest proponent of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of Genocide, invoked the Armenian case as a definitive example of genocide in the 20th century;
and
WHEREAS, as displayed in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Adolf Hitler,
on ordering his military commanders to attack Poland without provocation in 1939, dismissed
objections by saying "[w]ho, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?", setting
the stage for the Holocaust; and
WHEREAS, the Elie Wiese! Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-441) establishes that atrocities prevention represents a United States national interest, and
affirms that it is the policy of the United States to pursue a United States Government-wide
strategy to identify, prevent, and respond to the risk of atrocities by "strengthening diplomatic
response and the effective use of foreign assistance to support appropriate transitional justice
measures, including criminal accountability, for past atrocities."; and
WHEREAS, the United States has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, through
the United States Government's May 28, 1951, written statement to the International Court of
Justice regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,
through President Ronald Reagan's Proclamation No. 4838 on April 22, 1981, and by House Joint
Resolution 148, adopted on April 8, 1975, House Joint Resolution 247, adopted on September
10, 1984, and House Joint Resolution 296, adopted on October 29, 2019; and
WHEREAS, as of 2019, governments and parliaments of 32 countries, including the
United States, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, Argentina, and Brazil have formally
recognized the Armenian Genocide, and several of those countries, such as Argentina, France,
and Canada, have formally adopted April 24 as a public day of remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide;
WHEREAS, in the United States, 49 out of 50 states have recognized the Armenian
Genocide, Florida being one of them;
WHEREAS, there are approximately 30,000 Armenians living in the state of Florida; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach thank U.S.
Congresswoman Donna Shalala for her vote to pass the House Resolution 296, and urge
Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to vote for the passage of the related Senate Resolution
150, which was introduced to the Senate on April 9, 2019.
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission join the U.S. government in commemorating
the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance, reject efforts to enlist,
engage, or otherwise associate City of Miami Beach with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any
other genocide, and encourage education and public understanding of the facts of
the Armenian Genocide, including the United States role in the humanitarian relief effort, and the
relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby commemorate the Armenian genocide through official recognition and
remembrance; thank Congresswoman Donna Shalala for voting for the passage of U.S. House
of Representatives Resolution 296 affirming the United States record on the Armenian genocide, .
and urge Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to vote for the passage of the related Senate
Resolution 150. n
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 11 day of D?cenliv! , 2019.
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ATTEST:
pan Gelber, Mayor
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Rafael E. ranado, City Clerk
(Sponsored by Commissioner Mark Samuelian)
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Cy26 City Attorne ate
Resolutions -C7 S
MIAMI BEA H
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Raul J.Aguila, City Attorney
DATE: December 11, 2019
SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE THROUGH OFFICIAL RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE;
THANKING CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA SHALALA FOR VOTING FOR
THE PASSAGE OF U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RESOLUTION
296 AFFIRMING THE UNITED STATES RECORD ON THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE; AND URGING SENATORS MARCO RUBIO AND RICK SCOTT
TO VOTE FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE RELATED SENATE RESOLUTION
150.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the request of Commissioner Mark Samuelian, the attached Resolution is submitted
for consideration by the City Commission.
Applicable Area
Citywide
Is this a Resident Right to Does this item utilize G.O.
Know item? Bond Funds?
No No
Legislative Tracking
Office of the City Attorney
Sponsor
Commissioner Mark Samuelian
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
a Resolution
Page 294 of 720
I V Iii \I V 11 LI I
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
Office of the City Clerk
Tel: 305-673-7411
December 19, 2019
Senator Marco Rubio
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Rubio,
Attached please find a copy of City of Miami Beach Resolution No. 2019-31099:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE THROUGH OFFICIAL RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE;
THANKING CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA SHALALA FOR VOTING FOR
THE PASSAGE OF U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RESOLUTION
296 AFFIRMING THE UNITED STATES RECORD ON THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE; AND URGING SENATORS MARCO RUBIO AND RICK SCOTT
TO VOTE FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE RELATED SENATE RESOLUTION
150.
(Sponsored by Commissioner Mark Samuelian)
This Resolution was unanimously passed and adopted by the Mayor and City Commission of the
City of Miami Beach on December 11, 2019.
Respectfully,
Rafael E. Granado
City Clerk
c: Commissioner Mark Samuelian
o V %II v y `/ \`/1 I
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
Office of the City Clerk
Tel: 305-673-7411
December 19, 2019
•
Senator Rick Scott
716 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Scott,
Attached please find a copy of City of Miami Beach Resolution No. 2019-31099:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE THROUGH OFFICIAL RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE;
THANKING CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA SHALALA FOR VOTING FOR
THE PASSAGE OF U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RESOLUTION
296 AFFIRMING THE UNITED STATES RECORD ON THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE; AND URGING SENATORS MARCO RUBIO AND RICK SCOTT
TO VOTE FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE RELATED SENATE RESOLUTION
150.
(Sponsored by Commissioner Mark Samuelian)
This Resolution was unanimously passed and adopted by the Mayor and City Commission of the
City of Miami Beach on December 11, 2019.
Respectfully,
7 _it
Rafael E. Granado
City Clerk
c: Commissioner Mark Samuelian
I VV 1 1 V L/—l`I I
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
Office of the City Clerk
Tel: 305-673-7411
December 19, 2019
Congresswoman Donna E. Shalala
1320 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congresswoman Shalala,
Attached please find a copy of City of Miami Beach Resolution No. 2019-31099:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE THROUGH OFFICIAL RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE;
THANKING CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA SHALALA FOR VOTING FOR
THE PASSAGE OF U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RESOLUTION
296 AFFIRMING THE UNITED STATES RECORD ON THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE;AND URGING SENATORS MARCO RUBIO AND RICK SCOTT
TO VOTE FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE RELATED SENATE RESOLUTION
150.
(Sponsored by Commissioner Mark Samuelian)
This Resolution was unanimously passed and adopted by the Mayor and City Commission of the
City of Miami Beach on December 11, 2019.
Respectfully,
Rafael E. Granado
City Clerk
c: Commissioner Mark Samuelian